Create a business

Open the business menu at the top of the sidebar and choose Add a business. Then choose to start a new business or to open an existing Righto file.

Setup has four steps: About your business, Your books, Statements, and Opening balances. Then Righto shows Ready. The first two steps are on the New business screen. The steps and where you are show in the Margin, the panel on the right.

On the New business screen

1. Business name and start date. Type the business name. Books start on is usually the first day of this year.

2. About your business. Years in business, your role, revenue in the last 12 months, and what you want Righto to help with. All of these are optional. Then answer How much should Righto explain?:

   • Walk me through it sets Standard mode: plain words, short tips, and a tour.
   • Stay out of my way sets Advanced mode: the usual accounting terms, with no tips and no tour.

3. Your books. Answer How are you starting?:

   • Start from bank statements: use this if you are new, kept books in a spreadsheet, or used another app or a bookkeeper. Your old records stay where they are.
   • Import from QuickBooks or Xero: Righto moves your accounts and balances from QuickBooks Online, QuickBooks Desktop, or Xero. See Switch from QuickBooks or Xero. The rest of this article does not apply to you.

   Then choose the kind of work you do: General services, Consulting and professional services, Creative agency, or Home services. Each one gives the same standard chart of accounts with some useful categories for that kind of work. You can edit all of them later. Choose the business type too, or Not sure.

4. Password. Choose Use a password (at least 8 characters) or No password. With a password, Righto shows a recovery key one time. Save it somewhere safe, away from this Mac. See Your business file, password, and recovery key. Without a password, anyone who can open this Mac can read your books.

5. Choose Create business, and choose where to save the file.

Righto keeps your books on the cash basis. Income and expenses count when money moves. This is how Righto shows your books. It is not a decision about your tax method. Ask your accountant which method your business uses for tax.

In the app

The button that moves you to the next step is at the top right of the window. It turns on when the step is complete. Back is next to it, and on Statements and Opening balances, Finish later is too.

1. Statements. Drop all your bank and card statements at once, from every account (PDF, CSV, OFX, or QFX). Righto groups the files by account and shows the Proposed accounts. Rename them, merge two that are the same account, or add an account that has no statements. Righto makes the accounts only after you check them. Then it imports the statements of each account, oldest first. If a file does not say which way money moves, Righto asks you one question. Books start on is the first day of your earliest statement, unless you change it.
2. Opening balances. Righto reads the balance of each account from your earliest statement. Check each one. Where Righto could not read it, type the ending balance of the statement just before your books start. Had loans, unpaid customer invoices, or unpaid bills on that day? Add them under Advanced. You can also import a trial balance there. Not sure? Skip it, and enter them later. Righto checks that the opening balances balance. When it says Balanced. You can post., choose Post opening balances. Starting from zero is fine.
3. Ready. Righto shows what to do next, such as sorting your imported transactions. Choose Go to Overview. In Standard mode, a short tour shows each page and ends on the Get started list.

To stop and come back, choose Finish later. Setup opens again where you stopped. You can also find it in Settings.

The Get started list

Overview keeps your next steps in a Get started list, in order. Each step ticks off when it is done. The list stays until you finish it or hide it. To show it again, customize Overview.

The Margin

The Margin is the panel on the right. Choose a transaction or a report line, and the Margin shows its details and what they mean. In setup, it shows the steps and where you are.

Standard and Advanced mode

Standard mode uses plain words, with a ? that names the accounting term. Advanced mode uses the accounting terms. You can change the mode at any time. See Standard and Advanced mode.

Limits

• One installation of Righto holds up to three businesses. Each business is a separate encrypted file.
• Amounts are in US dollars only.

Next

Import your first statement: Import bank and card statements.